Welcome to Smíchov City

Cranes as far as the eye can see. Smíchov is a traditional Prague neighborhood with a rich history that became the epicenter of emerging industry in the 19th century. At its heart lies an important Prague transportation hub, Smíchov Station, whose surroundings are now undergoing a significant transformation. The initial northern phase of the Smíchov City project by Sekyra Group near the Na Knížecí stop is already complete and has delivered over 400 apartments. Attention is now turning to the third phase, which will add approximately 800 more apartments—Block SM8 is already under construction, while the neighboring blocks have received building permits. These typical urban residential blocks will be complemented by up to 8,000 m² of office space and approximately 6,300 m² of space for various shops and small services such as hair salons. A number of domestic and international architectural firms are collaborating on the design of this traditional block development, through which the investor aims to achieve the atmosphere of a mature city and internal diversity within the new neighborhood. The urban design and the corner office building at Na Knížecí were created by the A69 – architekti studio, while the design of the individual buildings was handled by the studios Kuba & Pilař architekti, Haascookzemmrich STUDIO 2050, Chalupa architekti, LÁBUS AA – Architektonický ateliér, D3A, and Projektil.

Right behind Ženské domovy, the Penta investment group is also set to begin construction this year. The Monument Smíchov project will offer 240 luxury small-sized apartments. The project is being developed based on a design by the Aulík Fišer studio.

Cranes are moving south

Smíchov City will continue to expand all the way to the Smíchov train station. The southern part of the previously unused area is being transformed into a business hub, the design of which was determined by an architectural competition in which 166 firms participated. The individual firms’ designs respect the master plan by the winners, Baumschlager Eberle Architekten and Pavel Hnilička Architects+Planners. The concept for the functional ground floor was designed by Chapman Taylor, inspired by the revitalization of public spaces in English cities—that is, the trend of people returning to the streets from enclosed shopping centers.

Česká spořitelna’s new headquarters

The dominant feature of the southern part of Smíchov City will be the campus of Česká spořitelna. The design of the four buildings with green roofs comes from the aforementioned winners of the architectural competition, the firms Baumschlager Eberle Architekten and Pavel Hnilička Architects+Planners. Once completed, the entire complex is expected to be open to the public. A public passageway with shops and services will run through the space, connecting to the main boulevard. The bank plans to host various cultural and educational activities here in a multifunctional hall or in the new Financial Literacy Center.

The other three buildings, which will cover a total of 45,000 m², were designed by Tham & Videgård and Schindler Seko Architects. They will house ČEZ. The six-story building will serve as the company’s headquarters, while the others will house a customer service center and a cafeteria. The ground floor will feature a café and shops. The north and south will be connected by a kilometer-long pedestrian boulevard, which will be enhanced by two new parks covering 1.4 hectares and a footbridge over the railway tracks offering views of Prague Castle.

Transport under one roof

However, the entirely pivotal role in the southern part of the area will be played by the new Smíchov transport terminal. This ultra-modern, one-stop transit hub will efficiently connect trains, the metro, trams, and buses, creating a vibrant transportation hub for all of southern Prague. New platforms will be built here, along with passenger facilities. The reconstruction of Smíchov Station, designed by A69 – architekti, began in February 2025 and is expected to cost CZK 5 billion. The new transport terminal should be completed by the end of 2028. In the same year, the Railway Administration also plans to begin renovating the station building itself. This work is expected to be completed by 2030. The existing bus station will be transformed into a new square. The total investment in Smíchov City exceeds CZK 50 billion.

An urban block in Smíchov

One of the first new apartment buildings is the V Botanice project, being developed by the Prague Development Company. A total of 56 apartments, complemented by shops and small-scale services, will be built on a smaller municipal plot near the Baroque Portheimka Villa. Construction has been underway since 2025 and is scheduled to be completed in 2027. This also marks an important milestone for the Prague Development Company: it was for this very building that the company launched its very first architectural competition, which resulted in a design by the Prague-based studio Atelier bod architekti.

Smíchov in the 21st century continues to grow

However, the transformation of the wider Smíchov area does not end with the Smíchov City project. Several other large-scale development projects are taking shape along the Vltava River and around the Smíchov port. The Sebre company has long been preparing the Šemíkův břeh project at the Erpet sports complex, where a golf course and tennis courts are currently located. According to architect Stanislav Fiala’s design, semi-open blocks of apartment buildings are to be built here, complemented by shops, services, and a new promenade along the river that will open up another section of the embankment toward Vyšehrad. Near Dvorecký Bridge, Trigema is gradually completing the Lihovar residential district, which incorporates the industrial heritage of the former Zlíchov distillery: for example, it preserves the chimney and the characteristic sawtooth roofs. The project is being developed in three phases and is expected to be completed next year.

The Lihovar project will be followed by the Archa Smíchov project from J&T Real Estate, which will offer approximately 500 apartments on a 17,000 m² site, designed by Chmelař architekti. An even greater transformation of the area is being planned by the UDI Group in the SIDE Smíchov Living project, formerly known as Vltava Meadows. The new neighborhood, designed by CMC Architects, is expected to feature up to 1,200 apartments, shops, services, and extensive public spaces with greenery. The first building, with 373 apartments, has already received a building permit and is scheduled for completion at the turn of 2028 and 2029. UBM Development Czechia is also preparing a smaller residential project; the company is behind, among other things, the Anděl City multi-functional complex and the Darex office building on Wenceslas Square. In Smíchov, it plans an eight-story apartment building called the Na Plzeňce Residence.